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Has anyone been able to confirm @wsls‘s reporting? Per this report, Richmond law enforcement (RPD) attributed Sunday’s “riots” to white supremacists posing as BLM.
But RPD Chief Gerald Smith said this afternoon that they’re still investigating & not ready to make attributions. https://twitter.com/wsls/status/1287698243586056192
But RPD Chief Gerald Smith said this afternoon that they’re still investigating & not ready to make attributions. https://twitter.com/wsls/status/1287698243586056192
This is the only news outlet reporting this specific claim. The only supporting evidence they present is “according to law enforcement officials” — but they don’t specify which branch of LE or who made the attribution. Further, the police chief’s own statement doesn’t back it up.
Do I believe that white supremacists would infiltrate BLM to smear the movement and give the Trump admin a reason to crack down on the left? Absolutely. We’ve seen it happen. But did it happen in RVA yesterday? I don’t know, and the evidence isn’t in this article.
Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.
![Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed-GuiuX0AUwI5J.jpg "Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.")
![Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed-GujsXsAI_Fu1.jpg "Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.")
![Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed-GuwvWkAAHLRo.jpg "Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.")
![Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed-GuwvWsAIYm_E.jpg "Also, I don’t know exactly what this means, but wsls[.]com literally changes their IP address on a daily basis, which is... unusual.")
It’s really tempting to share this type of story because it totally affirms what we already believe — and it may very well be true. But if we’re serious about fighting fascism, then fighting the menace of mistruth and unreality is among the most important jobs we’ll ever have.
Fascism seeks to warp our understanding of the world so much that we dissociate from reality and start living out fictional narratives. It steals our freedom by stealing our access to the truth, so that our actions & choices are no longer guided by truth, but controlled by lies.
Fighting against fascist lies is hard, & we‘re at a huge disadvantage from the start. Truth is messy, complicated, & may not always be what we want to hear. On the other hand, lies and fictional “realities” are clear, compelling, appealing, and very often entertaining/theatrical.
In fascist politics, (un)reality is the instrument through which ideology is propagated & power/dominance is asserted. As such, antifascism starts with maintaining a firm grip on reality, while pushing back on & dismantling fascist narratives.
Truth is our weapon. Make it hurt.
Truth is our weapon. Make it hurt.
Fascists seek to obliterate truth because they recognize its inherent power. Antifascists, too, must recognize that power and never participate in the act of eroding it.
